A.B. Won Pat International Airport Authority, Guam

After nearly 8 years of service, K-9 Officer Rex—a male German Short Pointer—will be retiring from the line of duty at the A.B. Won Pat International Airport Authority, Guam (GIAA) on March 15, 2024. His partner and handler, Airport Police Officer II Robert J. Umadhay were trained, certified, and recertified at the prestigious Transportation Security Administration (TSA) National Explosives Detection Team Program (NEDTP) out of Lackland Air Force base in San Antonio. Such certification guarantees that they meet and exceed TSA’s stringent requirements and standards in the highly specialized field of explosive detection and public safety in the challenging aviation environment.

“We have been fortunate to have had such a loyal and hardworking K-9 Officer in Rex since 2016 and we thank him for his service and wish him the best in retirement,” stated John M. Quinata, GIAA Executive Manager. “Our active K-9 teams are extremely vital to the safety and security of our airport, and we continue to partner with the TSA and invest in their training to uphold TSA requirements. Our five (5) remaining active K-9 teams will continue this important work with a replacement to be trained in the coming months.”

The team of K-9 Officer Rex and Officer Umadhay brought distinction to the GIAA in 2017 when they were chosen to provide explosive detection and augment the security detail for Super Bowl LI in Houston, Texas and again for the 2018 Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis, Minnesota. K-9 Teams from units across the country were selected for the TSA-funded security detail. Two (2) of the GIAA’s K-9 teams had been specifically requested as they had received superlative marks in their initial and recurrent NEDTP training. They also have augmented the security detail for various Congressional Delegation visits to Guam and were a critical security component when Guam hosted the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FESTPAC) in 2016.

Quinata concluded that, “Our K-9 teams actively protect the millions of passengers that use the Guam Airport and the over 3,400 airline, tenant, and GIAA employees who come to work every single day. The K-9 teams are not only vital to our daily operations, but also assist in bomb sweeps ensuring our island schools’ safety when bomb threats are called in, and they are by far one of our most requested sections for community outreach as active demonstrators to the hundreds of school children who tour the airport and as presenters supporting various school career day programs.”